October 24, 2003 11:01 A.M.

Do You Remember?

�LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE�

Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,

An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,

An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,

An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;

An' all us other childern, when the supper-things is done,

We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun

A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,

An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

Wunst they wuz a little boy wouldn't say his prayers,

An' when he went to bed at night, away up-stairs,

His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl,

An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wuzn't there at all!

An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'-wheres, I guess;

But all they ever found wuz thist his pants an' roundabout:-

An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin,

An' make fun of ever' one, an' allher blood-an' kin;

An' wunst, when they was "company," an' ole folks wuz there,

She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, and' said she didn't care!

An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide,

They wuz two great big Black things a-standin' by her side,

an' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about!

An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,

An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!

An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,

An' the lightnin' bugs in dew is all squenched away,-

You better mind yer parunts, an' yer teachurs fond an' dear,

An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear,

An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about,

'er ' the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

James Whitcomb Riley

My dining room is ready for the little Goblins.

It used to be true, that the only things you had to be afraid of on Halloween, were the �goblins�.

People didn�t try to harm little children by putting foreign objects or substances in the treats. It was perfectly safe for small groups of tricksters to canvass neighborhoods in the blackness of early night, shivering in the cool air and at the sight of scary, but friendly decorative objects, which might startle the little visitors with haunting noises or a loud �BOO!�emanating from the shadows.

It was not only perfectly safe, but it was a special treat�to receive unwrapped, homemade cookies, candy, or caramel apples.

I lived in the same house, in a �park-like� area, in Louisville, Kentucky, from the time I was a toddler until I was married. In autumn, the whole world turned to gold. Leaves were everywhere, and the smell of burning leaves was the wonderful hallmark of the season.

We actually had �leaf raking parties.� Imagine that with the �clean air� standards of today. It was such great fun�to invite several friends to join you; to spend an hour or so raking up the crunchy, musty leaves�into neat piles near the street curb. Then as soon as it was sufficiently dark, to light the bonfires, place hot dogs and marshmallows on the ends of rescued twigs, and roast them just enough to obtain the yummy burnt edges everyone wanted. It was a smoky, sticky, unsanitary wonderful treat! One easily survived in that era. An era sorely missed in this one.

Can you remember something special about the �trick or treating� experience of your childhood? Something unique about your particular neighborhood? If so, email me and tell me about it. I would love to hear your story.

One small memory comes to me each time I think about those days. I lived on a street, only two blocks long, extending from a Parkway to a sloping drop-off rising above the Ohio River. On the hill just above the river�s edge, there was a large colonial style house with a white-pillared front entry. It was the home of one of our local physicians. Their tradition was to give the neighborhood children chocolate covered cherries on Halloween. It must have been a very special treat, as it stands out as a highlight in my trick or treating memories.

A Louisville Lane in Autumn, Adam Jones, Louisville

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